Octavia and Midnight sat in a corner, not meeting each other’s gaze, just sitting there. The two of them shared in the silence that had prevailed since the barricade had been finished. Octavia met Midnight’s gaze, then looked away, a slight blush forming on her face. The noise of an explosion from the east wing broke the oppressive weight of the silence and suddenly, Octavia found her voice.

“Are you okay?” she asked shyly.

Midnight met her gaze, and they both looked away, the silence returning, filling the air with its awkwardness. One would look up, only to look away again the instant that the other would start to move. Slowly, Octavia mustered the courage to look him in the face again. He still could not meet her gaze, but his eyes stayed in her general vicinity. Octavia had been trained by the high society, and she knew how to keep track of where a stallion was looking. She followed his eyes as they slowly came to rest somewhere over her left shoulder.

A PROPER gentlecolt, and one who had recently been having trouble with his marefriend. She stared at the young, sensible, proper, handsome, wonderful unicorn in front of her. Luna can have Vinyl, MIDNIGHT WILL BE MINE! As she stared deep into his eyes, she understood what he needed on a purely subconscious level. She slowly stood up, walked over to him and sat down beside him, one hoof around his shoulders.

Octavia pulled him close, letting his head drop onto her chest. She felt a dampness there and realized that he was crying onto her. She put her other hoof around his shoulders and slowly began to rock her whole body back and forth, her mouth forming the words of a lullaby that her mother had sung to her when she had cried as a filly.

“Hush, little foal, let yourself rest.

This crying won’t help you, you’re not at your best

So calm yourself first, then let yourself go.

And tell me the problems, you want me to know.”

She sang it a few times, her eyes also tearing up. This perfect stallion, laid so low by the one he loved. She would have to help him. She kept singing, hearing the odd sob and feeling his chest shake arhythmically with them. She began to stroke his mane and looked out of the window. The sun was hanging low over the rooftops of Canterlot, and soon, Luna’s spell against the effects of tiredness would wear off. She may have said twenty four hours, but that was more like a half-life as the magical energy wore off. It would be best to be asleep by then.

Slowly, Midnight’s breathing began to become slow and rhythmical, sleep taking control over his body, letting only a few sobs get through. Octavia smiled down at him, marvelling at how beautiful he was in his sleep. He didn’t snore and his mouth was closed, he barely moved. She laid him down on the floor, and gently slid him over near the wall, and rested his head in her lap. Then she sat there, stroking his mane, watching him as the silent and infrequent sobs slowly began to stop.

Finally, she looked out of the window to see that the sun had fully dropped behind the rooftops of Canterlot. The moon was rising and Octavia was glad. Luna would have to stay at her post throughout the night, with no time to search for her missing guard. Octavia had him all to herself tonight. She gently moved his head aside, sliding herself out from under him.

Getting up, she walked over to find the pillows from the bed, but could only retrieve one from the pile of furniture in front of the door. She puzzled over the problem for a second before coming to the obvious conclusion. One pillow would not do much good, not as much as the body of a pony. She laid down by his head and slowly lifted it up before shuffling herself underneath him. Then she carefully placed his head onto her body and put the pillow under her own head. Gently stroking his mane, she let herself fall into the depths of sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, on Luna’s balcony-

Vinyl had gone off to get a table and a risk board, leaving Luna on the balcony alone to start the night. It was a pleasant enough evening, but Luna did miss Midnight. His reassuring presence was one of the things that made the long nights almost bearable.

Luna looked at the guard that ‘tia had given her for the evening. He was one of the guards who had kept watch over them while they were hunting ‘tia’s magical effects in the city. She turned back to surveying the rooftops, wondering where Vinyl had got to with that table. She kept her eyes out though. At the very least, she had a lot to think about. Midnight had disappeared after that business with the music. Maybe she and Vinyl had gone a little over board with him about it, but it was his own fault, making a decision, then going back on it just because he thought that they didn’t like it.
He never knew how to keep a mare happy. But that’s just it isn’t it the treacherous thoughts in the back of her mind began. He did keep you happy. It wasn’t what he did, but how he did it that kept you satisfied. And now you have lost him forever. Wait. What was that last part about losing him? She scanned back over Canterlot, keeping the windows in focus more than the rooftops.

THERE! On the fourth floor of the western wing of the palace, where Octavia had pointed them in the direction of the eastern wing. At the opposite wall of the room, Octavia lay, curled up with Midnight’s head on her chest, HER HOOF RESTING ON HIS NECK! Luna used her magic to create a game board in her room, but not one that anypony, or being of any kind for that matter had ever seen, but had all used at one time or another. She moved a piece to represent Octavia’s sally in the war for Midnight.

Alright Miss Octavia. Let the games begin!

Author's Note

OH MY GOD I AM SO PISSED OFF. This is the second write through. It wasn't as good as the first, but it does come close. Any suggestions to rename this chapter will be welcome. I just can't think of one right now, oh wait, never mind. Anyway, I actually typed the whole thing up here and just as I was about to save, my cat sat on my keyboard and I LOST THE WHOLE CHAPTER. Anyway, I have it saved now. I hope I can get it up and ready. I like the new chapter name actually...

ANYWAY. The lullaby is sung mostly to the tune of Tim Minchin's song Lullaby (the first verse) sort of. The words are my own invention, but that is the tune that I had in my head so I went with it. I am not a song writer. This, all of you will easily notice. Also, this chapter was not funny. I want NOONE complaining about this. ANY jokes I could have made would ruin the tone. I hope you all understand.

Next: I think I will keep the love diamond going on. Midnight

/ \

Luna | Octavia

\ /

Vinyl
It could be interesting.

CHEER FOR YOUR FAVOURITE PAIRINGS. But I would like to break from the norm and play with Vinyl x Luna and Octavia x Midnight.
Lastly, As ALWAYS, It has been a pleasure entertaining you and see you next time.